Plot Summary
Phil (Bill Murray), a weatherman, is out to cover the annual emergence of the groundhog from its hole. He gets caught in a blizzard that he didn't predict and finds himself trapped in a time warp. He is doomed to relive the same day over and over again until he gets it right.

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Before "Groundhog Day," Murray was already an A-list star of flippant comedy smashes, from "Caddyshack" to "Ghostbusters" to "Scrooged," but he also had a serious side that he'd failed to put over to audiences (despite such efforts as "The Razor's Edge"). He finally got that side across with his performance as Phil Connors, the "Groundhog Day" weatherman who wrestles with the universe and finally learns to be a better man. (Murray has said the performance is probably his best work.) Afterwards, Murray found himself in demand for dramatic roles (a ruthless gangster in "Mad Dog and Glory," the ambulance-chasing lawyer in "Wild Things," Polonius in an indie "Hamlet"), though always with his wry spin. But he took his spiritual-seeker persona to a new plateau with his many collaborations with Wes Anderson (from "Rushmore" to "Moonrise Kingdom") and his Oscar-nominated starring role in Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation," roles that pared down his Zen cool and his sad-eyed expressions of wistful experience and wisdom down to their essence. In the decade since, he's proved an elusive guru, a comedy master with little left to prove, emerging from his reclusiveness only for the occasional bit of self-parody ("Zombieland") or a true acting challenge (playing a randy president Franklin D. Roosevelt in last year's "Hyde Park on Hudson.") The 62-year-old is currently on screen in the limited-release comedy "A Glimpse Into the Mind of Charles Swan III."

MacDowell spent most of her '80s film career as a pretty but blank ingénue; it wasn't until 1989's "sex, lies and videotape" that she revealed her dramatic chops. "Groundhog Day" made her a popular romantic comedy lead, a status she cemented the following year with "Four Weddings and a Funeral." From there, she transitioned into playing a series of idealized, sensible wives and mothers to eccentric husbands in such films as "Unstrung Heroes," "Multiplicity" (directed by "Groundhog"'s Harold Ramis), and"The Muse." These days, the 54-year-old is as lovely as ever (she's still doing cosmetics commercials) and can be seen co-starring on TV's "Jane By Design." She'll next be seen on the big screen in 2013's "Breaking at the Edge."

The son of legendary radio comic Bob Elliott, Chris Elliott made a name for himself with his surreal appearances on David Letterman's 1980s "Late Night" series and on his own delightfully bizarre 1990-92 sitcom "Get a Life." His performance as irritable cameraman Larry in "Groundhog Day" marked his first major film role, and it led to a screen career full of even wackier appearances, from his starring role in 1994's "Cabin Boy" to his stalker in "There's Something About Mary" to his grotesques in the "Scary Movie" series. He's also remained ubiquitous on TV, from a short stint on "Saturday Night Live" in 1994-95 (he's the first "SNL" cast member whose kid also became a cast member: recent player Abby Elliott) to regular roles on "Everybody Loves Raymond," "King of the Hill," and "How I Met Your Mother." Most recently seen starring in the TV series "Eagleheart" and on-screen opposite Sacha Baron Cohen in 2012's "The Dictator," the 52-year-old is expected to appear later this year in "Scary Movie 5."

Tobolowsky has been a versatile character actor for decades, but Ned Ryerson, the overzealous, too-friendly insurance agent he plays in "Groundhog Day," remains his best-known role. Since then, he's also played memorable parts in movies ("The Insider," "Memento," "Wild Hogs") and regular roles on TV ("CSI: Miami," "Deadwood," "Heroes," "Californication"). His recurring character on "Glee," Sandy Ryerson, takes his last name from Tobolowsky's "Groundhog" character. The 61-year-old will be heard as a voice actor in the big-screen version of "Mr. Peabody & Sherman," due in 2014. He can also be heard hosting popular showbiz podcast The Tobolowsky Files.

Duke was a sketch regular on "SCTV" in the late '70s and on "Saturday Night Live" during the early '80s, when she created such memorable characters as Wendy Weiner. As a character actress, she's appeared in several Harold Ramis movies, including "Club Paradise" and "Stuart Saves His Family," but her best remembered film role is probably that of Doris, the put-upon diner waitress in "Groundhog Day." She hasn't appeared on the big screen since Ramis' 1996 "Multiplicity," but the 58-year-old continues to appear in TV guest spots, most recently as Princess Anne in fellow "SCTV"/"SNL" vet Martin Short's "I, Martin Short, Goes Home" in 2012.

Paton was nearly 60 before she found success as a character actress, with a recurring role on TV's "Falcon Crest." Her "Groundhog Day" role as Mrs. Lancaster, who runs the bed-and-breakfast where Murray's Phil Connors awakens every morning, remains her best-known character, but she's had no shortage of roles over the last 20 years. She's appeared in such films as "Blue Sky," "Trapped in Paradise," "Lolita," "The Wedding Singer," and "American Wedding," and she's had frequent TV roles on such shows as "Home Improvement" and "Boston Public." Her last major screen role came in 2005's "Red Eye," but at 82, she's still active on TV, in guest spots on shows like "Grey's Anatomy."

Dial your expectations to moderate, burrow in for the duration, and you won't be disappointed - it ain't exactly springtime, but there are worse things than an amiable outing on a winter's night.
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